Photonews: Summer 2018 by PPC Photonews

Photonews Celebrating the Postal Photographic Club and its Members

Summer 2018

PENING

SHOT

Determined by Pat Couder (IC7) We are well used to seeing images in folios that split opinions and Pat’s March entry was perhaps one of those images. Pat tells us that it was “taken on one of those Mud Runs. I liked the look of determination.” That it was also a very cold day comes across in the image. I won’t spoil it for those not in IC7 but will let you all study the image for yourselves. It has been said that a successful image is one that makes you think – this one certainly does that and it also narrowly missed out on a sticker too!

Photonews Celebrating the Postal Photographic Club and its Members

4 6 10

Postal Photo Developments Dave Whenham An update on the goings-on at PPC HQ

The Hardest Thing About DIgitial Photography David Ridley LRPS David’s thoughts on his approaches

In the Lightroom: Sorting & Vetting Your Images Eric Ladbury The second part of Eric’s tutorial series

Circle Spotlight: IC9

Patterns in the Bark

Sally Anderson Find out what makes this circle different from others in the club

John Histed John rounds off his series of images exploring the details found in trees

IC10 - The Circle Powered By Themes Dave Whenham & Eric Ladbury The themes for the 2018-19 folios

Classic Cameras

Is Club Photography Real?

Half a Century Ago

Eric’s Corner - The Best of Breaston

Geoff Leah Remembering the NIkkormat

John Pattison Thoughts on what it takes to find your style

David Ridley LRPS Reflecting on 1968

Eric Ladbury Eric takes a walk around a quintessetially english village

COVER PHOTO Cabbage Flower by Alan Phillips The theme of IC10s March folio was patterns and as you’d expect there were some very interesting takes on the subject. Everything from patterns found in nature to patterns found in architecture and other manmade structures. Then there was an image which combined the natural world with the man-made(up) world. It may be best to let Alan explain: “It’s a red cabbage. Well, a quarter of a red cabbage, cut vertically through the centre. Shot looking into the centre line, then manipulated to turn it into a line drawing, replicated, rotated, stretched and generally beaten to death by Photoshop. Everything except cooking it, essentially, ‘cos I have it on reliable authority that the only thing to do with red cabbage is pickle it and no-one here knows how to do that.”

POSTAL PHOTO DEVELOPMENTS News and Updates from PPC General Secretary, Dave Whenham Welcome! Well, despite ill-health (mine) and the impact on the Editorial team of GDPR (Kieran more so than me but see below) we are delighted to bring you the Summer 2018 edition of Photonews. As ever we are extremely grateful to all those who have contributed especially those that contribute issue after issue. Amongst other delights we have the concluding part of John’s fascinating series “Patterns in the Bark”, whilst regular contributor David Ridley gets all nostalgic about the sixties. Geoff Leah may have left the club but still responded to my cheeky request for another instalment of Classic Cameras, our longest-running feature. Elsewhere, John Pattison continues his ongoing correspondence from the Gulf - I could swear that every email comes with a good handful of desert sand! Sadly, due to matters beyond the Editorial teams control there is no one in the 20 Questions hot-seat this month, but we hope this is just a temporary blip. We do however, have the second part of Eric’s Lightroom article as well as his regular column to close-out this issue. So, plenty to read and hopefully enjoy.

The Annual Print and PDI Competitions You should all by now have received your invitation to submit entries for this year’s Travelling Exhibition competition. There were two emails sent out on 4th June, one for the print competition and the other for the digital competition. If you have not received them then please let me know ASAP so I can resend them – we don’t want anyone missing the opportunity to participate. Don’t forget there are some interesting changes to the format this year especially with the inaugural Photographer of the Year award and everyone is entitled to enter up to eight images regardless of how many Circles they participate in which levels the playing field considerably.

GDPR (don’t shoot the messenger) You are all no doubt sick to death of privacy notice updates, GDPR opt-in notices, numerous follow-up emails and the like, indeed three more dropped in my Inbox whilst typing this editorial. It is fair to say that GDPR caused us a fair bit of additional work behind the scenes and I even found myself working with another postal club on the subject. Unavoidably,

I then added to the pile of GDPR-related correspondence on 19th May with an update on our approach to managing data; again, if you’ve not received this please let me know. Remember, that members may request that their personal data be removed from the Club database at any time. You will appreciate however that such a request will mean that you will no longer be able to participate in Club activities as the minimal amount of data we hold is essential for the print and online folios to operate. We updated our data management principles to reflect these legislative changes and should you wish to view a copy I will happily send it to you upon request. In summary, we hold the minimum data required to maintain contact with members and to provide them with Club services such as online and print Circles, access to Photonews and regular communications.

80th Anniversary Book For those who committed themselves to providing an image and caption for the 80th anniversary book project can I once again say a huge thank you, your support means a lot. Sadly though, I didn’t get enough pledges of support to get this project off the ground. If you meant to commit to the project but either forgot to or assumed there would be enough saying “yes” anyway then this is your last chance to commit your support before I drop the idea. It’s going to be a lot of work and for it to be worth doing we really do need a lot more of you committed to the idea.

Burnley Bob goes International Using the moniker Burnley Bob International, long-time member Bob Rawlinson recently submitted a project to

Postal Photo Developments - Dave Whenham

If you do want to contribute but are concerned about getting your thoughts or ideas on to paper let me know anyway – I’m just an email or phone call away and I don’t bite. Don’t forget there is a lot of support available; Kieran does the layout for every article and I edit every contribution, so we will take responsibility for making it as professional as we can before unleashing it on the membership. Editing can mean anything from ghost-writing the full article based on your notes to simply checking spellings and if needed editing to length. If YOU have the idea, then WE can get it on to these pages.

A Parable

the NaturaJazz competition. Bob tells us that: “I was taking photos on a bridge in The Gambia and I was approached by a Spanish guy just out of the blue. He asked if I wanted to enter a competition I said yes and gave him my e-mail address and when I arrived home an entry form arrived. The competition was in three separate sections one of which was Mid Atlantic which covered The Gambia.” Out of 84 projects entered Bob’s was one of just 12 chosen to be projected throughout June at the jazz festival. Not surprisingly Bob’s project featured “Birds of the Gambia” and the image here of a Fine Spotted Woodpecker was just one of the images that impressed the judges. You can find more at https://www.naturajazz.org although you will need better language skills than mine. Bob however had no problems as he explains: “All the info was in Spanish which I translated in Google Translate however it appears I have won 500 Euros!”

Once there were four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody who all wanted to receive a highquality magazine four times a year. Everybody said, “I want to read some good articles”. Somebody said, “If only Anybody would start to contribute I would too.” But Nobody said, “I will contribute an article or even a photograph” and therefore Everybody missed out.

Finally My end-of-column image this month is decidedly gimmicky but after all the serious stuff recently I couldn’t resist the opportunity to have a play. For those that may be interested, the 34 aerial images needed to create the 360° panorama where taken with a Mavic Pro drone hovering at 200 feet. These were then stitched in DJI Media Maker before exporting the file into Photoshop to create the “tiny planet”. Sometimes just playing requires some fairly technical tinkering but it keeps us “young” I am told! Until the next issue, stay safe and stay creative! Dave Whenham

Could you write for Photonews? This is YOUR magazine and whilst Kieran and I do most of the work to bring it to your desktop we couldn’t do that without the contributions from members. In the past this has involved me in a lot of nagging and contacting people who I thought might have something to contribute. After four years and twenty editions though I am starting to run out of ideas as to people to nag – and sadly I do not know all ninety-plus members personally. Unless I get some inspiration soon we will have very little content for the Winter issue – but YOU can help by proactively offering something for a future issue. We have a small group of dedicated members who provide something every issue (and one ex-member who still contributes) but as it stands I have just three items in the folder marked “Winter 2018 Photonews”. I usually work a couple of issues in-hand and so have sufficient material on-hand or promised for the usual bumper Autumn Special but after that who knows? Postal Photo Developments - Dave Whenham

“Beached”

The Hardest Thing About Digital Photography... David reflects on the joys and challenges of his photographic journey There are many things along the path of life that appear difficult at first until mastered and when things eventually ‘click’ we think ‘Ah! That’s how it’s done’ Thinking back as experienced amateur photographers, and depending upon our ages, we may well have got ‘the bug’ as a youngster after being given our first camera, and once ‘bitten’ possibly progressed on to a rangefinder camera then perhaps an SLR or maybe a medium format twin lens model etc., But, oh the joy as we travelled along this path, learning to master the more complex features of these mechanical wonders with the promise of what they would undoubtedly produce, as well as probably mastering a separate exposure meter into the bargain?

During our journey the likelihood is that a darkroom was acquired at some point and in this hallowed place of monochrome wonder we managed to get the hang of developing film and producing prints of various sizes and even toning prints before mounting our efforts. Indeed a few of us then ventured into producing colour prints and one or two even went on to use the ‘Cibachrome’ process with all its complexities and no doubt some developed reversal film as well. When not out and about or in the darkroom, loading bulk 35mm film into empty cassettes was for some also a part of the hobby. Ah yes we’ve trod a winding path since we started out and today most of us now use digital cameras and process the resulting images on a computer using an inkjet printer for putting our images onto paper - no more smelly chemicals I

The Hardest Thing About Digital Photography... - David Ridley LRPS

hear you say! Well, we’ve mastered a lot during our journey and today we’re doing just fine with our DSLR’s and mirrorless offerings which to a great extent have a familiar feel and indeed familiar look to cameras of the pre digital age. Arguably, all we’ve really had to get to grips with to go digital is processing our images on a computer via software of our choice which once again to a greater or lesser extent has been mastered and just like cameras has become routine with only a little thought now needed. All in all the ‘switchover’ wasn’t that hard, was it?

“Only Sheep Visit Now” So, what is the hardest thing to master about digital photography? Well in my opinion exactly the same as in the pre-digital age because I consider simply getting out and about regularly with camera in hand is the real key to the enjoyment we all seek from our great hobby and I would suggest that if we start by mastering commitment together with a good dose of optimism our hobby will be all the more enjoyable! These couple of things can be the hardest to actually get to grips with because unlike a piece of photographic equipment that can be picked up and explored they are intangible with an indefinable variance and therefore more likely difficult to master.

“Full Speed Ahead”

Let’s consider Commitment first. I’m sure we already have a measure of commitment but it’s likely it may need an individual review from time to time or perhaps just a fine tune. We have of course committed to producing work every month as members of PPC and a lot of us will also be members of a local camera club where regular competitions are available to enter, so we always need a few shots ‘in the bag’. From time to time during my long association with photography I’ve found that regularly asking myself a few simple questions regarding what I’m currently doing and what’s on the back burner for later actually keeps me on track and enhances my enjoyment. Simple questions like am I still venturing out locally for a few hours every week within my usual 10 miles radius of home, even when I can’t help thinking that I’ve photographed everything in the area before? Have I been keeping to these regular local jaunts I promised myself I’d do regardless of the prevailing weather? Is my forward planner that I use to jot down when a another visit to a particular location is desirable and at what time of year/time of day

The Hardest Thing About Digital Photography... - David Ridley LRPS

and for whatever reason, up to date? Prior to going on holiday or just a day’s visit somewhere, have I found and jotted down in advance all the places of likely interest to me for not only the destination but also enroute? Have I studied the maps, guide books and sought any other useful information in advance of visiting an unfamiliar place? Am I following that old piece of advice about always carrying a camera, so I need to ask myself is my compact camera that I keep in the car fully charged? Because I may suddenly need it perhaps when I’m out locally, maybe only at the shops but without my usual camera gear, and as we all know if opportunity arises the best camera is the one you have with you! Having a camera to hand in the car has on several occasions paid dividends for me, allowing me to get images I wouldn’t otherwise have been able to. Over time what started as commitment for me has simply become routine, in other words I try to remain focused and ready. Secondly there is the matter of optimism. I would think we all have this in some measure because without the belief that ‘we may get some good shots today’ it’s unlikely that we would choose photography as a hobby. However, on some days, no matter where I am, perhaps I’m looking through the window at inclement weather, it can be all too easy to convince myself that perhaps today’s not the day for photography! No photographer should never fall into this trap because as we all know the British weather can rapidly change, even if only for a short while, and provide us with some fantastic light but naturally to take advantage of this possibility I know I need to be wherever my intention was! Now I’ve always enjoyed reading quotations on any subject but especially on the subject of photography, and a couple of quotes I keep coming back to always provide a ‘top up’ of optimism for me when needed: Which of my photographs is my favourite? The one I’m going to take tomorrow! (Imogen Cunningham. American Photographer. 1883 - 1976) “M’Lady”

The Hardest Thing About Digital Photography... - David Ridley LRPS

No place is boring if you’ve had a good nights sleep and have a pocket full of unexposed film (Robert Adams. American Photographer) For me the first of these quotes always helps me maintain the optimism I need and the second quote mentioning unexposed film is just as relevant in today’s digital age because with a few memory cards I have much more capacity for recording images than I would have had with film when I think of the associated costs alone. So, perhaps to some extent a good dose of optimism for me comes before commitment because with bags of optimism the commitment seems to fall naturally into place most of the time, but I don’t suppose it really matters which comes first as long as I always have both! To complete my ‘Photographic Experience’ I’ve found that as far as is practical for me, full participation in club membership is the icing on the cake.

“Where’s That Window Dresser With Our Clothes?”

“Japanese Lady” The Hardest Thing About Digital Photography... - David Ridley LRPS

In the Lightroom: Sorting & Vetting Your Images Part two of a series of Lightroom Tutorials from Eric Ladbury

A tip, I view the slide full screen by pressing the space bar or [[ F ]] after selecting the first (or required) slide, and press the numeral key of the rating required, even better is, if the caps lock is on for capitals, Lightroom will move to the next slide in the screen automatically. Therefore whilst having this great view, any filtration can be applied to the image being checked and as soon a selection or rating is made, the next image is ready for assessment. To return to viewing all the slides on screen press [[ G ]] and this shows the full grid (all) pictures. The criteria I apply is:1. One star is technically correct and of reasonable composition could be of use in general work, such as AV’s or tutorials, but not of competition quality.

3. Three star is definitely worthy of competition at local level. 4. Three star plus yellow label/frame, is considered definitely could be of high quality. 5. Reject Flag DEFINITELY GOING IN THE BIN, although this could be rescued in the short term either when selection of all black flagged slides are filtered or even before emptying the computer’s Recycle Bin, [waste bin]. Once binned it’s gone for ever. This has left a series of no star, one and two, plus the odd three starred slides, I now do the same process, but first click on the second star [see label E] the right-hand window in this bar should read No Filter this means one has not been applied yet, so move to the row of Five Stars just click on the 2nd star. This action will select all slides rated greater or equal to ONE star. A tip; if the symbol is clicked it will display the window of option [see label F] the top one should be highlighted. An explanation for the three alternative options is below:Rating is greater than or equal to ~ LR will show two star (or the number chosen), and all above that number, symbol will show.

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Rating is less than or equal to ~ LR will show the star number chosen and all below that number, symbol will show.

•

Rating is equal to ~ LR will show the star number chosen only, = symbol will show.

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The method of applying a star rating to a slide is either move the cursor [the mouse] over the slide and five faint dots appear along its bottom border; or click the one star (or more) to rate the slide in the Tool Bar, this is the bar between the lowest row of slides and the bottom panel, if it is not visible press [[ T ]] key once to toggle between on and off. Now a much quicker method is available simply press [[ 1 ]] [[ 2 ]] [[ 3 ]] [[4 ] [[ 5 ]] key as desired to give that number of star rating; pressing [[ 0 ]] takes the rate back to zero.

2. Two star means there is potential for use in comps but not high level at the moment, possibly with work in Lightroom and/or Photoshop plus maybe [Google] Nik.

This section deals with the many methods of sifting through the thousands of pictures just uploaded into a folder in Lightroom. The three main selection tools are [see fig. 10 label A] two flagging symbols, five star rating, and five coloured frames, of which I use all of them in conjunction with each other. Let me explain my method; once I have started to upload a group of pictures from source, I commence star rating as the loading is in progress. Now how many star levels are there? Five? Wrong! There are six because no star is a rating level too. So on my first pass of star rating I use, none, one and two stars only for normal assessment, with one exception when a cracking top quality image appears, and I often have one in mind from memories of the shoot, I then stretch to the third star [see label B]. I do also use the flag rating at the same time, well just the Reject symbol by pressing [[ X ]] key once this puts a black flag in the top left corner [see label D]. therefore I am actually using a range of four ratings, no* one* two* and X (the reject), plus the occasional 3 star, by only using up three keys.

Therefore make certain you have the appropriate filtration selected as above, if not change the selection appropriate from the options available. Having applied the above there should be a screen of two star and possibly a few three stars on display. Go through and assess each two star rated slide and if it looks suitable upgrade by clicking the [[ 3 ]] or [[ 4 ]] keys as is considered suitable to the picture. Once more if desired a further sift can be done using [[ 4 ]] [[ 5 ]] key number rating for the final selection, pending on the quantity to vet I will make 3 passes at the first sitting,

In the Lightroom: Sorting & vetting your images - Eric Ladbury

(I can filter a shoot of over three thousand images in under two hours), then usually leave the final assessment for a later session. With the top slides sorted I will look at the four and five star images assessing for full processing in either Photoshop and/ or Lightroom; first applying basics and cropping etc., in LR. This is where the coloured borders come in, I may have applied a yellow check during the 3 star phase or later, as yellow for me suggest a suitable picture to be worked on. Once I have done the basics, I will have a good idea where I need to take the image for further working including conversion to monochrome and toning, or cloning, (which depending on the severity of the task if the cloning is major or awkward I will do in either LR or PS as I feel fit). This is where further use of the coloured filter is applied depending on the process the image has received and/or its finished state. The use I put the colour coding to, helps in recovery and/or when using Collections in the left panel, (but that is a whole new lecture for the future), so below is a breakdown of my colouring system with shortcut keys:-

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RED [[ 6 ]] = a temporary selection, maybe to have break during working this shows quickly where to pick up again later, or I might have query with the location or slide.

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YELLOW [[ 7 ]] = is used to denote the image is in the process of being worked and may still need final touches like a border or a mono conversion created from the original edited colour image.

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GREEN [[ 8 ]] = is used for a completed slide in COLOUR or TONED and is ready to be used in external locations, e.g. competitions or on the web (sizing has not been applied).

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BLUE [[ 9 ]] = I tend to use for oddities like a possible combination of slides to make a montage a panorama or perhaps for HDR conversion. Maybe for any linked slides.

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PURPLE there is no shortcut but it can be applied by a click on the Toolbox line (as can all other colours) [see fig. 10 label E], and this I use for a completed slide in MONOCHROME which, for me, denotes just black & white, as I prefer to leave “toned” and “colour popped” images in the colour group labelled green.

The only filter I have not yet explained is the White flag [see

In the Lightroom: Sorting & vetting your images - Eric Ladbury

label E] this is designated for Pick(ed) by LR I use it for any selection when all the above has been utilized and I may need to make a quick selection of fully prepared slides for say, the creation of an AV or sifting for other possible considerations, such as searching for competition pictures etc..

left top bar if it is not visible just press the [[ \ ]] Backslash key at bottom left of your keyboard (next to Z), the window toggles on or off by repeat pressing. The first thing to do if this is your initial use of this window is to set up the view of it to suit your own method of working.

To remove a numbered ratings or a highlighted coloured slides simply use the same key, e.g. a one star would require a [[ 1 ]] key press. If there is simply a change in status just press the new code key e.g. [[ 4 ]] to create a four star rating from a two or what ever the original was; using any star keys (1,2,3,4,5) NOTE they will not mix with colour keys (6,7,8,9) and visa versa.

Take a look at the many options available in this powerful searching tool (it would be more accurate to say tools), [see fig 11], this is not how the window would normally show, I have opened up all the bars in the top half and in the lower half put the maximum amount of selections available in Lightroom CC I wouldn’t use it like this, it is just for demonstration purposes. Also look at [see fig 11b], this is the full amount of filters in a window of LR which I use on a 24” screen, this allows about 66 slides to be viewed with all the panels and filter bars visible, but when all these are hidden the screen acts like a “lightbox” with nearer 200 slides visible, useful for general viewing or sorting of files at any stage.

To undo the flagging with a placed black or white flag for Reject or Pick use the [[ U ]] key, this is just removing the original and one cannot change or add a flag except using the “U” key. There is a second and equally important method of searching for slides which uses the Library Filter window [see fig 11]. When it is open this is below the top Top Panel, title is on the

There are four options to select from: Text, Attribute, Metadata and None in the centre and Filter Off (or On) plus a Custom Filter,  and a padlock symbol [see green bar A]. Any or all these filter bars can be used together by clicking

In the Lightroom: Sorting & vetting your images - Eric Ladbury

and black flags are selected all slides come back to the screen, an odd one this. IV

Rating ~ stars that is, ***** greyed out when first visited; click this to show a dropdown menu and the choice is the same as previously. •

Rating is greater than or equal to ~ LR will show two star (or the number chosen), and all above that number, symbol will show.

•

Rating is less than or equal to ~ LR will show the star number chosen and all below that number, symbol will show.

•

Rating is equal to ~ LR will show the star number chosen only, = symbol will show.

on the one required, and if a combination of two or three is preferred, just hold down the [[ CTRL ]] key whilst clicking the desired combination. I tend to use Attribute + Metadata as this seems to provide the best balance. I rarely use text search in Lightroom but applied keywords is useful for searches elsewhere and in external programs. See top of the next page for an outline of each filter bar:Text [see orange bar B]

Second window ~ allows the search to be refined in the way your Lightroom relates to the text, such as ALL the words or ENDS WITH consequently telling the computer what part of the final window is being utilised for the search. Third window ~ with the magnifying glass, this where you type in the text being searched for, again this could a one word e.g. London, or a phrase like Tower of London, and now the reason for the first two windows becomes apparent. To place any text in this window click inside it and it turns white with a typing cursor start typing in this right-hand window either upper or lower case as LR doesn’t need to have the capitals in place, and LR begins to search immediately, displaying the possible slide(s) found from the folder for the request, if no match is found No photos match the filter will be displayed. If you need to exclude any text place an exclamation mark in front of the word e.g. !water. This avoids picking any text string with ‘water‘ in it. Finally don’t forget to click the X which has appeared in the window once you have finished with your search (or the next time you visit this window) as the input word(s) will be scanned for straight away.

First window ~ Text Searching for any text anywhere in Lightroom and its associated files in whichever hard drive or folder they lodge [see bar B]. Now the use of filling in any text earlier in the previous issue will be realised and can be appreciated. There are three boxes - in the first box just click the  and select from the dropdown menu. Any Searchable Field is the default, these can be used to narrow the search field as required by selecting the appropriate line.

Color ~ the seven coloured squares, / the first five simply refer to the colours applied to each slide frame or coloured label. One or multiple red, yellow, green, blue or purple colours can be chosen. The white box is for selecting custom labels, I’ve yet to come across this but I think it refers to any colour tagging made in a previous version of LR which have had their descriptions change. The greyed square shows all uncoloured slides only. Just click on the desired square or squares. Kind ~ three small icons relating to the style of slide (image) to be selected (shown), these in order are: •

Old style slide or film frame ~ displays all master (original) slides, in other words all the normal uploaded images including any transferred to other programs and returned to LR (these create a second version of the original), along with their original file.

•

Virtual Copies - oblong with turned corner ~ this is occasionally useful as I do make virtual copies in LR to use when experimenting on a new idea to process a slide, or if I need to take the original slide in two (or more), different directions process wise.

Attribute [see blue bar C]

•

Note when first opened the three flag are greyed out, when clicked they attain a clearer outline and are active, not easy to discern I must say. BE WARY HERE as the same dropdown menu is used for all three flags, therefore if a filter selection is made in one flag it applies to all immediately, choice is made in the dropdown menu right click any flag to show the menu.

Movie strip or film ~ this brings up only video captures, these display as a single slide, but are in fact movie or video sequences up to several minutes long. I have yet to use this but most modern still cameras now have a video capture available. Again any or all these choices can be selected but again I do not find a need for this array.

Metadata [see yellow bar D]

Flag ~ a choice of three: White flag - this filters out (hides) all except for the slides with a white flag raised, the same applies for the rejected Black flag; when chosen only black flagged images appear. That is if you have remembered to deselect the white and grey flags. The Grey flag does weird things, basically it hides both the other flagged slides, but if one or both white

The default setting is to display four columns headed; Date, Cameras, Lens and Label. First of all I cannot see any reason to have the last one Label as all slides have a label so show on screen. However this is simple to change click this header it can be any column [see fig. 11 labels B & C] [see box I]. from the dropdown menu of thirty options [see fig. 12], choose

In the Lightroom: Sorting & vetting your images - Eric Ladbury

the most useful for yourself, tend to have a set group and this can be saved . There s also the opportunity to add further columns, and remove any by a click on the symbol= at the right end of this header (or header of your choice) [see labels B or C]. I use the maximum of eight columns on a large screen this is feasible and the information which can be selected for filtering is brilliant. A good idea is to save the setup once you are happy with it as a bit of time and effort is used deciding the best for your needs; so go to Custom Filter  in the [see label D] (or the named one in view and in use currently) and click  (not the padlock), go to the bottom of the dropdown menu Save Current Settings as New Preset and click on this line, a dialog box appears simply type in a meaningful name when happy click the Create Button, this makes available at any time if you decide to switch to one of the other Presets; one interesting preset is the LR~TUTORIAL SCREEN, it’s not mine but belong to Adobe, just kidding it’s one I’ve setup for this tutorial and expensive to purchase.

to keep it locked as the use of the backslash key [[ \ ]] makes a quick and simple task to switch on or off when ever the need arises. The lower screen grab [see fig. 11b], a view of my preferred setup of the eight columns in the Metadata bar of Library filter. These are only a suggestion, (feel free to copy this), but please look at the list to the right and make your own choice.

None [see green bar A] Quite plainly this removes from view whichever bar, Text, Attribute, or Metadata is in view or any combination thereof is hidden Once these are setup it is now a matter of using any or all the options in each column as needs arise. To select one option (the default is the top line All (xx whatever) see each column), select the required lines other than the top line (there’s no point if you have all selected as well), looking at the first column – Date there are say four different entries below the “All” line and you may recall the days a shot was made on, so that’s a quick way to remove the unwanted entries on screen. There could be other criteria such different cameras or certain lens size is desired, maybe a particular f-stop is needed. The choice is never ending any permutation is possible. Once a selection is made in one column, it immediately effects the remaining columns as they adjust to the first selected input. Finally the PADLOCK [see green bar E] on the very end. This has two states and a click on this symbol closes the lock or opens it; Open means when the source of images in the left panel is changed the Library Filter bar goes back to the default position of None, whereas closed means keeps the current view of the bar which ever source is selected. I prefer

In the next issue we will consider the steps for transferring and resizing your images - especially handy for getting your submissions ready for your circle of choice.

In the Lightroom: Sorting & vetting your images - Eric Ladbury

Circle Spotlight: IC9 Sally Anderson explains what’s different about this circle. From the start of the internet circles with IC1 in January 2013, every circle had followed the same format of members writing a critique and giving a score out of 10. For many this format worked well and has stood the test of time with IC1 now in its fifth year. However, four years after the first circle started, a new circle was formed that did not include a scoring element. Critiques are still written but everyone gets a score of 10, the only 10 I have had in five years!!

Naturally, when I was there it looked spectacular and there were lots of people trying to capture it on their iPhones, complaining bitterly that it was impossible. There was an event going on in the castle and I found myself standing in the middle of the road, as cars either patiently waited or passed in front of me. As the moon moved, I had to too. The window of opportunity was very small.

How does it work and what makes it different? Each member looks at the images presented and writes a critique. When submitting images, members often write a sentence or more about their aims, how and why they took the image and sometimes technical information on post-production work.

I took several shots with varying numbers of exposures. This one consisted of 7, I think. Each with one stop between them. The real difficulty was getting the moon, with any detail at all on it. In fact, it was only from the quickest exposure that I managed to bring out any detail. I merged the exposures manually in photoshop, with the aid of luminosity masks. I used the darkest exposure to provide the detail of the moon. Unfortunately, due to the amount of radiance emanating, the circumference of the moon diminished with each stop down and so, I had to “scale up” slightly the last exposure.

Allan Bate’s image in the first round is a great example, ‘Her Majesty’:

I don’t know if you will see the join, but to achieve a seamless transition I adjusted the “blend if” slider for the Underlying Layer in the Layer Style window of that particular layer. Hope that makes sense. I’m looking to take on board any thoughts so that I can try them out on the next super-moon in 2034.” One of our members has included a series of images on a specific theme. John Histed wrote of his aim: “From my tree bark project. I was trying to show the textures and colouring of the bark on this tree. It is intended to be one of a series of studies of the patterns found on the bark of trees. The file was made by re-sizing a .jpg file used for printing a 12x10 print.”

“Well I thought that I would start with a tricky one. The composition is not that great, BUT I wanted to capture this rare event (14 December 2016): A super-moon just emerging between the towers of Windsor Castle. Circle Spotlight: IC9

The most noticeable difference in this circle is that because there is no scoring people do seem to write fuller comments, suggestions and advice. Advice is often practical as in this example form.

– I can see me developing a whole new grungy subset to my portfolio. As an aside this was one of the very first shots I took with the newly acquired X-T1. Do I explore these presets further?”

There is also a freedom to experiment as there is no league table and this has led to aims such as Clive Piggott’s image Sidmouth.

Clive’s comment: “Nobody was injured in the making of this image. It was a lovely day, blue skies but quite windy. Shortly after this, the parasol sailed off over the wall into the hotel car park. I’d never heard of John Batho when I took this but I recently ‘discovered’ him and that inspires me to do better along this track.”

A question posed and one that some members followed up. Dave also put the straight mono image in the notebook for comparison.

Others such as Dave Whenham’s image using Luminar Preset gave us some technical details, some of which I had not heard of, but it does encourage one to look into new ideas. “Luminar RAW conversion plus Angels in the Marble and Moonlight Falling presets. I have been testing a new processing software package called Luminar, whilst it is not yet a PS beater it is showing the potential and once they introduce an image browser it will be another step closer to saving me £9 per month. It works very differently to PS and one area where it is very well featured are its presets, which are infinitely customisable. Once I got over my initial “sniffiness” at the word preset and delved deeper I realised that the level of control the user has exceeds anything I’ve ever seen before and they are in fact very powerful and totally controllable. I present here an image which by my norms is grossly manipulated but which strangely I like

Circle Spotlight: IC9

In line with using the notebook Alan Phillips put this image in the circle, Bath Abbey Ceiling Detail. “From the 2016 Rally, when I had a day in Bath. This is a detail of the fan-vaulted ceiling in Bath Abbey in the nave by the main altar. Just an architectural record shot, but I wanted to get the detail as crisp as I could. They don’t allow tripods (other than 8am – 9am) but were OK with ny using a monopod as long as I didn’t take up any room with it. So I had to use a high ISO, and even so only just managed it – a wider aperture would have started to see the fan vaulting on the edges going soft. I actually remembered to take a colour checker with me, and I actually remembered to use it, so here the white balance is true for once. It seems to look nicer angled to lie on a diagonal. The crown is pointing down the aisle to the main door, and sometime later I discovered something that didn’t appear in any of the information the guides had.

Comments can vary significantly and this goes to emphasis the individual preferences of a mixed group of evaluators. John Metcalfe’s Sunset got a mixed range of comments.

The crown is actually a 3-dimensional half. When seen from the main door – a long way down, so the angle is now very shallow – and with a 400mm lens, there is a stunning visual effect where we appear to be looking down on the crown as it sits on a round table with Garter motto surrounding it. I’ll post that in the gallery if Sally chooses this image.”

‘Well you don’t often see a monochrome sunset. Does this work for me? Certainly does. I love the structure of the clouds without the distraction that colour would add.’ ‘I’m not sure that sunsets really work in mono as the main pleasure is the colours that occur at that time of day.’

And followed it up with this image in the notebook:

‘Mono is about light and shade, contrasts and textures and this has them aplenty. I didn’t need colour to tell me this was a setting sun; the disc of the sun and the way the light is falling all contribute to that insight. Without the colour I do not get hung up on whether or not you’ve over-cooked the colours/saturation/vibrancy, I can concentrate on the amazing patterns in the sky which so cleverly dominates the whole image. There’s just enough foreground to place ourselves in context with the sky which I like too.’

Circle Spotlight: IC9

Some images get lots of advice and well as positive comments. Graham Snowden’s Children in Fountain attracted the following advice:

‘The movement in the water is great, though I found that just bringing down the shadows helped to bring out the subjects a little more.’

Bill Stokes – Frosty Solitude “A lovely winter park scene shot against the light with the silhouetted figure as a perfectly placed focal point.”

‘I think the boy on the right is not *quite* distinct enough. Bringing up the contrast on the shirt and especially the face would work – I’d say he needs to be as prominent as the brightest of the trio on the left for balancing.’ ‘… the only suggestion could be a manual focus on the kids, but that is just being picky and it may not have worked so well as the image you have here.’ ‘The overall balance is unfortunately disturbed for me by the red shirt on the left. On the right the boy who is the main focus does not stand out. It would be nice if the shirts were swapped!’ Subject matter is wide and varied including natural history, landscapes, mono, architectural, still life and more. A selection of images with comments:

Sally Anderson – Water Lily “So often flower shots are spoiled by damage to the flower but this one looks perfect. The dark background and reflections in the water are good. Well positioned in the frame, square format suits. I can feel the warmth from here”

Circle Spotlight: IC9

Maxwell Law - Trees “The not quite mono works very well on this subject. Although there was no point of interest it curiously worked.”

Bill Stokes – Siesta Alley “This is a very nice composition and I like the way that you have used the diagonal shadow as a leading line.”

Whilst members have moved on and new members joined the standard of photograpghy continues to be high. Following the success of IC9, IC12 has now been started with a similar format. Please contact us if you or someone you know might be interested in joining one of the non-scoring circles.

Maxwell Law - Grasshopper “Really well taken image Maxwell: lovely detail, focus, DoF. Well lit and a great colour palette.”

Circle Spotlight: IC9

Patterns in the Bark

This, the third article, in this series, ‘The Bark of Trees’, includes images that concentrate on the surface of the trunks and limbs. These are images of patterns rather than of form and scars which were in the second article.

The closing part of John Histed’s project photographing the details and textures of trees 20

Image no 1 is a link to the second article. It is a blemish that looks like a bird’s head and could easily be regarded as a scar. The remaining eleven images exhibit a variety of patterns that are representative of their species. All the patterns are visually attractive to me; as with the shapes and forms some are visually ambiguous and have been seen as other objects. I hope you enjoy them.

Patterns in the Bark - John Histed

Future Directions This project is definitely not finished. I continue to find interesting images in the forms, shapes and surface patterns of trees. Another aspect that I have tentatively visited from time to time is the foliage. I expect to continue with these indefinitely.

Patterns in the Bark - John Histed

IC10

The online circle powered by Themes

Our online themed Circle, IC10, has been very positively received by members and we’ve had some extremely creative responses to the themes so far. The 2018/2019 “season starts in October and the programme was released to IC10 members last month along with Eric’s prompts designed to stimulate members imagination rather than act as a directive. Members are able to discuss the themes, and indeed suggest new ones, in the Notebook and Eric is always on hand to guide them

should they want to discuss the suitability of their idea. At the end of the day though it’s the members who determine how well the brief has been followed!

Oct 2018: WHEELS

Dec 2018: COAST OR RIVER

Submissions: 21st September to 9th October Folio Open: 10th to 20th October

Submissions: 21st November to 9th December Folio Open: 10th to 20th December

A single or multiple wheel(s), broken or whole, attached or alone, but not including the whole vehicle or object they are attached to. This means I don’t want to see such as a whole bus or train but the component wheel or wheels. The presentation can be a straight image or enhanced by a multiple layered picture or a montage, thus many elements within the single frame.

The point at which the land meets the sea and/or the large flow of water following a channel towards the sea. This can also be both coast and river where the two meet, but NOT a small stream (by my definition), like a body of water one is able to cross in one stride of a human.

Dave & Eric

Jan 2019: The COLOUR YELLOW

Nov 2018: FANTASY Submissions: 21st October to 9th November Folio Open: 10th to 20th November “Fantasy” imaginative fiction dependent for effect on strangeness of setting (such as other worlds or times) and of characters (such as supernatural or unnatural beings). Examples include William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels. Science fiction can be seen as a form of fantasy, as science fiction usually is set in the future and is based on some aspect of science or technology, while fantasy is set in an imaginary world and features the magic of mythical beings. Imagine your imagery!

We can probably fit a couple more members in for the forthcoming season so if you would like to give it a try let Sally or myself know – first come first served of course.

Submissions: 21st December to 9th January Folio Open: 10th to 20th January The colour YELLOW, the hue to be the main feature of the picture, simply anything with the pigment yellow evident in the shot. This can include the purest of tone yellow or a near colour like a cream hue, NOT orange, so go shoot that lemon in a bowl of fruit, or better it, if you can.

Background Image: Vortex of the Mind, John Metcalfe

IC10 - The online circle powered by themes

Feb 2019: LONG EXPOSURE

Jun 2019: TRIANGLE(S)

Submissions: 21st January to 9th February Folio Open: 10th to 20th February

Submissions: 21st May to 9th June Folio Open: 10th to 20th June

The method of creating an image by allowing the camera shutter to be opened for an extended length of time usually more than 1/15th of a second exposure (time of opened) shutter. As this normally incurs a blurred image as a result of either movement of the camera or movement of the subject, a support of either a tripod, beanbag or solid object in situ e.g. a wall or lamppost to avoid the camera shake is required. Imparting blur on the captured image, as in blurred movement is acceptable. The subject chosen is open to your own imagination and ideas, but it must display movement or time lapse of some manner.

A single or multiple polygon(s) having three sides either on a flat surface, can be hollow or filled; or as a solid object (pyramidal) form. I am not interested in a love triangle involving three people, keep it none confrontational or personal, please.

Mar 2019: LETTERS or/and NUMBERS Submissions: 21st February to 9th March Folio Open: 10th to 20th March A record of either a series of numbers, or letters, or a mixture of both. This can be signage on any surface or object, being permanent, semi permanent, or even a temporary hand written type. As long as there are letters of the alphabet, English or not, and/or arithmetical numbers, again from any language. Let’s see what your pictures add up too.

Apr 2019: WINTER WEATHER Submissions: 21st March and 9th April Folio Open: 10th to 20th April Any type of weather normally associated with the months after Autumn and prior to Spring. This can be in the northern or southern hemisphere usually December, January and February in the north, and June, July and August in the south. But of course, in Britain these winter months often have all the seasons in one day. Therefore, I am hoping for cold, chilly, frozen, floods or wet conditions normally related to our “Winter” to be displayed within the picture.

May 2019: BUILDINGS EXTERNAL Submissions: 21st April to 9th May Folio Open: 10th to 20th May This is normally a structure of any size from a local dwelling house to a massive city skyscraper, roofed and walled for permanent use. I do NOT wish to see any interior views unless the picture is taken from one building through a window or opening of a second external or adjacent structure. Neither will a canvass structure be considered so not a camping or tenting composition please.

Jul 2019: The SUPERNATURAL Submissions: 21st June to 9th July Folio Open: 10th to 20th July This requires an image of an exceptionally or extraordinarily connected content or subject, departing from the usual or normal, thus is of the spirit or ghostly supernatural link. Therefore, I am looking for surreal, abstract or perhaps someone of those powers, actual or pretend. This is up to your own interpretation of beyond what is normal in the spirit of photography.

Aug 2019: SHADOWS Submissions: 21st July to 9th August Folio Open: 10th to 20th August The dictionary definition is: partial darkness or obscurity within a part of space from which rays from a source of light are cut off by an interposed opaque body. In other words, a dark patch produced by obscuring the rays of the sun or any other light source, reaching the photographed surface, it can partial or completely black. I definitely do NOT want to see a silhouetted object only, there must be a shadow discernable within the picture, definitely NO reflections of any type.

Sept 2019: FLOWERS Submissions: 21st August to 9th September Folio Open: 10th to 20th September The part or whole plant: to include a flower or flowers, that part of the subject having petals, sepals and reproductive organs, in other words a brightly coloured array of a pedalled individual head or group of heads. Not a bud or buds unless accompanied by an open flower head of the same plant. This can be cultured or wild, natural or garden bloom(s). Please be as artistic as possible rather than a pure record of the flower, but NOT to include either any insect, human or animal within the frame, thank-you.

IC10 - The online circle powered by themes

Classic Cameras Geoff remembers the Nikkormat in this installment The Nikkormat was produced from 1965 to 1973. It was intended as a back-up or second body for professional photographers who primarily used the more expensive Nikon F models. Many features were omitted in order to reduce the price, the most noticeable of these being that the viewfinder is not inter-changeable on the Nikkormats. Things such as ball bearing races had plain bearings substituted, and cheaper lighter materials were used for the camera bodies. The history of the Nikkormats is quite short, yet they gained great popularity with both professional and amateur. Nikon lenses fitted both F and ‘Mat bodies, and the appearance and build quality of the ‘Mats belied their cheaper purchase price. Starting in 1965, the first ‘Mat was the FS. This was a standard version with no meter. Later that year the FT was introduced. This had a CdS metering system with the meter needle being visible in the viewfinder. 1967 saw the appearance of the FTN. The CdS meter was centre-weighted, and the shutter speeds and an over/under exposure indicator was visible in the viewfinder. In 1975 the FT2, an improved

version of the FTN, appeared. The swansong of the ‘Mats took place towards the end of 1975 with the introduction of the EL. This had Through The Lens metering and fully auto exposure something of a “point and shoot” camera and consequently not very popular. The chrome camera illustrated is an FT, sporting the impressive-looking period 50mm. f1.4 manual lens. The black model is an FT2 fitted with an f2 50mm. manual lens. The ‘Mats would not accept auto focus lenses. In the 1960s chrome finish cameras were all the rage, but by the 70s black had taken over. Consequently black body cameras still maintain a premium price. The Nikkormats are superb cameras and very useable today for 35mm film work. Prices vary depending on condition but range from the low hundreds to the high two hundreds. They are robustly built and are not prone to mechanical failure. If you’ve got one, dig it out, clean it and run a monochrome film through it and re-acquaint yourself with the magic of film.

Classic Cameras - Geoff Leah

Is Club Photography Real? John’s thoughts on the benefits of shaping your own style of photography I have been watching several photography-related videos and vlogs recently about different aspects of photography and given the insight of the presenters, all professional photographers, it has made me question if photographic club images are real, where in this case ‘real’ is in the sense of being representative of the world and its environs, peoples and so on. It seems that many of the images presented in club competition, but not in all cases, are formulaic, conforming to the ideas of the members and judges of what constitutes a good image. This formulaic approach I would argue stifles the context of photography – painting with light. The images are within the photographer’s comfort zone and there is resistance to try or to embrace something different. And by different I speak of drastically different, images that lead one to think and try to understand what the photographer’s intent is or was at the time. Many images that we see are record shots. Some have some artistic merit as well and some are one’s that most would be happy to hang on the wall.

Abstract Wine Glass, Mahe, Seychelles Product / Abstract Photography

Sean Tucker, who has a channel on YouTube, speaks of photography in a philosophic way and a recent video of his concentrated on shooting to maintain highlights and letting the rest of the image fall into full or partial shadow. He gave examples of this taken from cinematic photography in addition to some of his own still images. In some of his images up to 60 or 70 percent of the shot is in shadow, often with no details in those areas visible. How many times have we seen comments on club images where the commentator states the shadows lack detail, or the shadows should be lightened. Really? Is that real life? Our eyes can ‘see’ approximately 20 stops of dynamic range but camera sensors at best are far more limited to between 16 to 18 stops and many cameras are less than 16 stops even today. So, it is inevitable that a photograph cannot represent what the eye can discern other than by blending images or using HDR software. Does this matter? HDR has its followers and some HDR is subtle enough to look ‘real’ but is it? Should not the image be as the camera sensor ‘see’s things or should we as photographers

Is Club Photography Real? - John Pattison

try to make an artistic statement through the use of blending or HDR techniques? I would propose that it does and that as suggested by Mr Tucker if one exposes for the highlights and leave all else as is then the image will be far more interesting and grab one’s attention. Also, do one’s images tell the viewer where the photograph was taken, are there visual clues to place the location within the composition? For those whose passion is landscape or urban photography do those images provide the clues necessary for the viewer to have a reasonable chance of knowing where the shot was taken? Perhaps with some city skylines, iconic urbanscapes and perhaps also with well known landscape vistas. But what of the rest? Without the

photographer providing a meaningful title, many of those images where the viewer is not familiar with the location would remain a mystery. This brings me to the further question of ‘Does any photograph require a description’ or at the very minimum a ‘title’? There appear to be diametrically opposite views on this topic with no universally acceptable ‘right’ answer. Personally, I tend to provide a title and a short description. In RPS and other significant photographic societies an artist’s statement is encouraged and is also a requirement for national and international competition. We are asked in the club to provide some further information on the intent of the image, but there are again some photographers within the online circles whom

A slice of Mango flavoured Cheesecake at the Cheesecake Factory, which is a popular franchise restaurant chain in Qatar

Is Club Photography Real? - John Pattison

Wigan Youth Jazz Orchestra performing at the Belfry in Bruges, Belgium - Event Photography

believe this is a step too far and that the image should speak for itself. I understand that as an idea but, there are also many occasions, where I think there is a further need for the viewer to understand the photographer’s intent and that kind of squares the circle for this piece. But, what of that implied question posed at the beginning of this article that one should be drastically different and embrace the many genres and sub genres of photography. How many club members for example have tried fashion photography, food photography, event photography, concert photography as something different to their norm, new and daring pushing the envelope of the individuals photographic

compass and escaping from that comfort zone? Then there is the even thornier question of developing an individual style where one’s works is recognisable as yours and only yours. As an example of style, I recommend viewing fashion photographer Lindsey Adler’s portfolio. For those who may not know of her she is an award-winning fashion photographer and educator based in New York city. Sean Tucker - YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJ7QGZYdJns Lindsey Adler - Web Site lindsayadlerphotography.com

Is Club Photography Real? - John Pattison

In 1968 I was 20 years old which wasn’t old enough to vote, you needed to be 21 which was the age of majority back then. That of course brought other limitations like not being able to apply for credit and naturally not being able to marry (assuming one wanted to) without parental consent, but I didn’t care because this was the decade of my teen years and early 20’s a period in time known as the ‘Swinging Sixties’ which as a youngster I thoroughly enjoyed living through! Having passed my motorcycle test not long after my sixteenth birthday in 1964 and owning a motor bike for the rest of the decade gave me an added freedom over and above the generally associated new found freedoms of the 60’s. Once motorcycling gets into the blood it’s difficult to give up and although I was on four wheels from being 19 years old I still rode a bike past my mid thirties and of course still have a motorcycle licence today. Happy days! But enough of all this I hear you say .... what about photography and other things? Well like many I started to be interested at an early age when given my first camera

HALF A CENTURY AGO

Reflecting on 1968 30

(a Brownie 127) and the interest gathered pace from there and by the age of twenty, in 1968, I had owned several cameras including a Practika SLR and a Werramat rangefinder. The Werramat, which cost me £30. back then, didn’t have any type of viewfinder focusing aid and I recall I purchased a separate distance calculator which clipped into the flash shoe and was used to obtain and read off the required focus distance. Once achieved the distance was then set manually on the lens. A rather unusual feature of this camera was that the film advance ‘lever’ was in fact a ring situated around the rear of the lens which only required a partial turn to advance the film and indeed was quick to operate and worked very well. The lens itself was a fixed standard 50mm Carl Zeiss. Now money values keep changing but the £35. total cost including the focus distance accessory was a substantial outlay for me as I was only earning about £16. per week by the time I was 20, less tax and living expenses so it probably represented around 12/15 weeks of disposable income. Well that was me .... But of course, by 1968 there was more and more consumer choice in all things than ever before (assuming one could afford it) and cameras, lenses etc., was no exception. Assuming you were around in 1968 a few of the available cameras to purchase new included:

Reflecting on 1968 - David Ridley LRPS

•

This same year Canon established what is now Canon Europa NV.

Moving away from photography 1968 was the year in which Daniel Craig (actor) was born as was cricketer Mike Atherton. In that year Tony Handcock (comedian), Bud Flanagan (comedian and singer) and Enid Blyton (children’s writer) all died. On the pop scene - The Beatles had three chart No. 1’s with Lady Madonna, Hey Jude and Hello-Goodbye. Manfred Mann also featured at No.1 with Mighty Quinn also a No.1 was Congratulations sung by Cliff Richard and Jumpin’ Jack Flash by the Rolling Stones. To list some other things that happened in1968 there was: •

The Rollei TLR which was produced from 1960 to 1981

•

The completion of the M1 Motorway

•

The Nikon Photomic FTn introduced in 1968 which was the last major up-date of the F series

•

The birth of the first recorded live sextuplets in the UK

•

The second Nikonos underwater camera was also a 1968 model

11 year old Mary Bell from Newcastle-upon-Tyne was sentenced for the manslaughter of two small boys,

•

The Praktica Super TL again introduced in 1968 which sported TTL metering and had cloth shutter blinds was made in Dresden until 1976

The Theatre Act of 1968 ended the censorship of the theatre

•

1968 was the year of the last mainline steam train service

•

Datsun cars started to be imported by Nissan and the Ford Anglia car was replaced by the Ford Escort

•

PM Harold Wilson endorsed the ‘I’m Backing Britain’ campaign

•

Thames Valley Police was created by the amalgamation of five smaller police forces

•

Motor Racing Champion Jim Clarke was killed during a Formula 2 Race

•

Enoch Powell made the ‘Rivers of Blood’ speech

•

The Kray Twins were arrested in raids across London

So for those of us not only around fifty years ago but also of an age which allows us to remember that year some moments in time are:

•

The 1968 Race Relations Act was passed whilst the Trade Descriptions Act came into force

•

These were just a few events from that year. But it’s still another year until man walked on the moon!

•

The FED 3 coupled rangefinder was in production from 1962 to 1980 - so it was available in 1968

•

The Leica M4 was the current offering in the M series that year

•

Canon introduced the Canon TL in 1968

•

The Asahi Pentax with TTL metering and utilising the 42mm inter-changeable lens system was produced until 1968.

These are just a few of the 1968 offerings and as mentioned consumer choice was on the up.

•

1968 saw the Apollo 8 manned spacecraft in flight which amongst other photo equipment on board were a couple of 70mm Hasselblad still cameras. One of the images produced was the photo ‘Earthrise’ which is considered one of the all time iconic photographs. 1968 was also the year we saw the Polaroid Company advertisement ‘The 60 Second Excitement’.

Finally, the BBC Dad’s Army sitcom was first shown on TV.

The last 50 years has brought many changes and much development and 1968 was just the beginning of the last half century and your guess is as good as mine as to what the next 50 years will bring starting in this year of 2018?

Reflecting on 1968 - David Ridley LRPS

The Best of Breaston... Why travel the world building up thousands of anti-green air miles chasing that elusive crowd pleasing, world beating image gathered from lands afar? Just what triggered these thoughts? How come I was touting a couple of camera bodies, one normal, the other converted for infrared imagery, and a bag full of assorted lenses? All around the very local streets and lanes following tracks and footpaths of my home village, a task I have been doing now for over fifteen years since moving into my current location, Breaston in the East Midlands. The reason for this present four-thirty a.m. traipse along wellworn routes in familiar roads at such an ungodly early hour, was based on one recent visit to the local centre of my world for urgently needed supplies, this lead me to read the local public notice board, which is nailed to a wall in the green, and full of information of forthcoming events, group activities and meetings relevant to the residents in the neighbourhood on display.

Catching up, with the news, I chanced to read of a new event in the village; a competition for the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Bestâ&#x20AC;? pictures of this ancient domain, to be judged in the late summer. It was now early Spring and I was contemplating my annual shoot of the blossom and spring flowers now blooming, and although a task I had undertaken regularly over these past fifteen years or so, by taking hundreds of pictures of my village, and involving many different styles plus trying several new methods and equipment, in this handy locale, there was always room for expanding my portfolio of this rural community. These often included many such pre-dawn rises for a sortie into the first light of the day, a hastily prepared and eaten breakfast, followed by my sojourn into the near lifeless sleepy shadows of well trodden routes along familiar streets. This time now with three aims in mind; first, the usual avoidance of people and their associated travelling means or companion in the form of four legged friends; second, of course chasing the best of the morning lighting; and third,

Eric's Corner

Eric’s

C ne r or

to put into practice my modern twist of photography stamping a personal version of an excellent “ancient” booklet I have read and referred to repeatedly for information and stimulation of ideas to capture the contemporary vistas and views around this historic homeland.

Just how do I better those grabbed shots by the senior citizens using their beloved Box Brownies, or the youngsters popping about all over the place searching newly found scenes and recording such on their modern iPhones? One thought running through my mind enforcing and emphasising this current exploration and significant shoot, occurred whilst preparing my camera bag with the appropriate equipment two days prior to the event. I had decided that once captured, these few personal views around the parish, after being sifted and sorted for possible entry into the contest they could be processed as HDR by using Photomatix Pro, a program I have owned for several years yet hardly really explored. Now, back home for the second breakfast of the day, after passing the time of day meeting and greeting several familiar locals as they headed for the heart of the village to collect newspapers and the such, and them, eyeing my mud stained trouser knees, and sodden shoes drenched in dew from hours of green wandering just two miles from home, and me yet trying to convey a sense of being sane and proud to be a member of the districts community, in my view anyway. Brunch over, I was seated in front of the computer with the serious side of the days outing to be examined, sorted and graded for possible further working to be applied post processing the best. See you next time around the corner, Eric.

Opposite: Duffield Close, Breaston ~ Open grassland in the centre of the village, originally know as “Pinfold” a field for stray cattle; now including the Butterfly and Memorial gardens, where many community events take place throughout the year. Top: Duffield Close, Breaston ~ In the open grassland, “Common” looking towards “The Green” the commercial centre of the village. Bottom: Ward’s Lane, Breaston ~ At the north end of Duffield Close; with bunting flying for the annual “Britain in Bloom” flower competition, village section, flags often fly on many public, private and business buildings around the whole village in recognition of local events. Eric's Corner

Eric's Corner

Left: Stevens Lane, Breaston ~ Number two, at the corner of Stevens Lane and Wilsthorpe Road (the main thoroughfare through the centre of the village, East towards Nottingham and West to Derby. Below: Wilsthorpe Road, Breaston ~ close-up of village sign from facing page..

Top, Facing: Main Street/Wilsthorpe Road, Breaston ~ The Parish Church of St. Michael, photographed from “The Green” using a fisheye lens (slightly modified in Photoshop to remove the huge “bend” in the straight road). Left, Facing: Risley Lane, Breaston ~ The Navigation Inn, once called Duck Lane, on the northern edge of the village adjacent to the “old” canal hence the pub name. The canal is now used as a linier track for walking, cycling and horse riding from Long Eaton to Borrowash and Elvaston Castle Country Park. Right, Facing: Wilsthorpe Road, Breaston ~ Jubilee Garden with the village commemorational signage for “Braydestun” the ancient name of Breaston after the 1363 benefice ( church officer ~ rector or vicar) , now one of several small “Green” areas around the district. Eric's Corner

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Photonews Celebrating the Postal Photographic Club and its Members Photonews is published four times per year. All rights reserved. All materials copyright The Postal Photographic Club and/or their respective authors. Any opinion or statement expressed by the author of any article published in this magazine does not necessarily reflect the views of The Postal Photographic Club, the editor or its members.

Eric's Corner